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Race Rave

Read what people are saying about their running experience at the New River Marathon!

“Such an awesome event – thanks so much for everything. The scenery was only matched by all the great people! See you next year, for sure.”

“Course design, pre race, water stations, potty stops, course guides, people at the finish line, photographers, volunteers… you race staff was extraordinary! great job guys! had a great morning! thank you thank you!”

“Congrats and thanks for putting on such a great event. Out of the more than 20 marathons I’ve done, only Big Sur rivals the beauty of the New River course. Course support and volunteers were excellent. I will be back next year – and a bit more prepared for miles 14-17!”

“This was my first half marathon and I am SO glad that I was able to participate. The course was by far the most beautiful of any races I’ve attended, and coming from Wilmington, NC, the course was definitely more difficult but not overwhelming.”

“If you’d told me they’d been running this for 20 years, I’d have believed you. Awesome organization. Scenery is unbelievable. Hills are tough: thought I was ready but wasn’t. But that’s a Me problem. Can’t recommend this one highly enough.”

“Most beautiful course ever!”

Runner from Atlanta, GA

“Inaugural marathons are often a risk; this one was all reward!”

“The good: Everything! Specifics:
1. Porta-potty to runner ratio: First race of any size I’ve seen get this right. Lines never more than a 3-5 runners deep, at most.
2. Scenery was beautiful! Running by the river was perfect, and the whole thing was just gorgeous. I’m not from the area, so maybe it’s all old hat to locals, but this was really one of the prettiest courses Ive seen.
3. Locals were supportive. When I hear roads open to traffic, I worry. They’re right when they say there’s not much traffic to worry about. For those cars I saw, most gave a friendly wave or rolled down a window to say something positive.
4. Volunteers were AMAZING. I was in the back of the pack in this one and the aid stations were still stocked. (Great number of aid stations too!) The volunteers were all quite friendly. The on-course medical/fire support was up and down the road, keeping an eye on all of us. Great group of people!
5. The medal is fabulous! If you’re running for something heavy, shiny and cheaply-made by the thousand, this isn’t your race. I have tons of those. This medal is a handmade, wood ornament, branded with the race logo. It’s wonderfully unique!
6. Mile markers were always at the mile marks! 5Ks were marked too. It always amazes me how many races manage to lose the mile markers. They fall over, tip over, get run over, and who knows what else happens, I just want to see them. And at this race I did. Every mile. Every time. Seems simple, but it’s not, so shout out for a well-marked course!
7. Love the race shirt! It’s purple – very nice change from white! Plus, they had gals’ and guys’ sizes.

The needs tweaking:
There’s only one road to the parking lot, and we all got there all the same time. Bit of a traffic-jam getting in to park, but the RD handled this very professionally. The 15-minute delay at the start seemed to get everyone in and ready – the best solution with the least inconvenience. Well handled! If you’re running next year, plan to get there a bit earlier than you might typically for a smaller race.

The heads up:
Can’t say they didn’t warn you. That hill at 17 is as steep and technical as the course description and elevation chart describe. The view at the top is great, but you’ll do some work to get to see it!”

Runner from Quebec, Canada

“This was the first edition of that race but everything was perfect.
I ran 8 marathons in the last 8 months in 8 different states, and this is the most beautiful one.

Really, though; it was really like running in a dream.

I gave 5 stars to spectators: birds, horses, cows… I will come back for sure with my family.